3 favorite kale recipes

“Eat Kale!”  We hear all the time that kale is one of the world’s healthiest foods, but finding a recipe you like can be tricky. Kale can be tough, and it has that really thick stem in the middle that is just a nuisance. 

I like to get rid of the stem all together by stripping off the leafy parts, and then I tightly roll 1-2 leaves together and chiffonade the kale, so you get thin little ribbons of kale. 

This can then be used for salad or your favorite recipe.  Here are 3 of my favorites, but be creative, add a little to your eggs in the morning, a bit in your favorite salad or finish off plating your spaghetti with tiny ribbons of kale and parmesan cheese, freshly grated, of course!!  

Kale, Walnut and Avocado Pesto

Ingredients

1 9 oz bag of kale

4 garlic cloves

2 lemons, juiced

1 cup of walnuts

1­2 avocados

About ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil

Salt, to taste

1 16oz box of pasta 

1. Start by lightly steaming the kale. I used a steaming basket which sat in a saucepan to do this in two batches. You want to get the kale a little softened, without properly cooking it. It will take just a couple of minutes and will turn bright green.

2. Now start cooking your pasta. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add your spaghetti. While it's cooking, you will make the pesto. 

3. If you have a large food processor, put the kale in with the walnuts, avocado, garlic and lemon juice in and whizz until it's blended but still chunky. 

4. If you're using the hand blender method as I did, put the kale into a large bowl. Pour in the lemon juice. Place the walnuts and garlic on top of the kale and pour the olive oil over them. Press the hand blender down over all of the garlic cloves and blend until the garlic is completely pureed in that spot. Now move the blending stick around and blend all of the walnuts (these can be a little chunkier) and kale to achieve the desired texture. Some bits of kale could be left almost whole if you'd like it more textured. 

5. When the pasta is ready, drain and return the pan. 

6. Top with the pesto, add salt and pepper to taste, and then use tongs to distribute it. It can take a lot of work to get the pesto mixed in, because the kale sticks together a lot! You may need to add a little more oil.  Serves 4.

Sautéed Kale with Garlic and Olive Oil

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 bunches of kale, rinsed and dried, ribs and stems                  removed, leaves thinly sliced crosswise

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the garlic and chili flakes and sauté for two minutes, until the garlic just begins to brown.

2. Add the kale in batches and toss to coat with oil. When all of the kale is added to the pan, cover and sauté for 5 minutes.

3. Remove the lid, season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking for three minutes, or until the moisture has mostly evaporated. Serve immediately.

Kale Slaw with Creamy Greek Yogurt Dressing

Ingredients:

5 cups chopped kale — you want it chopped pretty finely to avoid the toughness that kale can have

2 cups shredded green cabbage

3 cups broccoli slaw

½ red onion, sliced thinly

½ cup dried cranberries, plus more for garnish

½ cup sunflower seeds, plus more for garnish

For the Sweet & Spicy Dressing

1 cup plain, Greek yogurt

Juice of ½ lemon

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp honey

1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

1 ½ tbsp whole grain mustard

¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper

salt & pepper

Make the dressing first.  Put all of the dressing ingredients into a big bowl and whisk.  Set aside. 

To assemble the salad, toss your chopped kale, broccoli slaw, and green cabbage together. Add the cranberries, and the sunflower seeds. Dress the salad and toss together. Let the salad sit for 30 minutes for flavors to meld.  Serves 4.

ciao! fabiana

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Ciao Newport Beach

Ciao Veggie

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